ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: recent advances in the field of intensive care have dramatically improved the survival of preterm born infants. The infants who born before 34 weeks of gestational age often have an immature or absent coordination sucking- swallowing and breathe pattern lead to feeding difficulties. In order to improve the efficacy of oral feeding in preterm infants, effective early interventions are needed. The purpose of current study is the effect of oral massage on physiological and behavioral indicators, frequency and duration of independent oral feeding in preterm infants
Materials and Methods: in this study forty-Eight Preterm infants, between 28-32 weeks of gestational age who were hospitalized in NICU were randomly divided in two groups; oral massage group and controls. Newborns in oral massage group received, pri and intraoral massages, twice per day, each time for IO minutes before gavages at least for IO consecutive days. Outcomes have been assessed and recorded in both groups
Results: duration and frequency of independent oral feeding that was assessed for 5 day was significant higher in massage group [p<0.001] [p>0.002]. There was no difference in Oxygen saturation, heart rate and behavioral state during oral feeding between two groups
Conclusion: oral massage can increase both the duration and frequency of independent oral feedings in preterm infants. However it has no effect on physiological and behavioral parameters during independent oral feeding development
ABSTRACT
Increasing demand for memory assessment in clinical settings in Iran, as well as the absence of a comprehensive and standardized task based upon the Persian culture and language, requires an appropriate culture- and language-specific version of the commonly used neuropsychological measure of verbal learning and memory, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test [RAVLT]. The Persian adapted version of the original RAVLT and two other alternate word lists were generated based upon criteria previously set for developing new word lists. A total of 90 subjects [three groups of 30 persons], aged 29.7 +/- 7.10 years, volunteered to participate in our study and were tested using the original word list. The practice effect was assessed by retesting the first and second groups using the same list after 30 and 60 days, respectively. The test-retest reliability was evaluated by retesting the third group of participants twice using two new alternate word lists with an interval of 30 days. The re-administration of the same list after one or even two months led to significant practice effects. However, the use of alternate forms after a one-month delay yielded no significant difference across the forms. The first and second trials, as well as the total, immediate, and delayed recall scores showed the best reliability in retesting by the alternate list. The difference between the generated forms was minor, and it seems that the Persian version of the RAVLT is a reliable instrument for repeated neuropsychological testing as long as alternate forms are used and scores are carefully chosen